


swift as a shadow, short as any dream

by riversonng



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Human, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-06
Updated: 2013-11-06
Packaged: 2017-12-31 15:54:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1033539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/riversonng/pseuds/riversonng
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The air is brisk, sunlight streams through the trees to cast dancing shadows around them, leaves crunch merrily beneath their feet, and the foliage above them rustles quietly in the late afternoon breeze. On any other day she'd be thoroughly enjoying herself; but as she's led through the forest on a seemingly wild goose chase with the Doctor and a blistering headache, she feels every right to be thoroughly aggravated.</p>
            </blockquote>





	swift as a shadow, short as any dream

**Author's Note:**

  * For [watchoutthatbowtie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/watchoutthatbowtie/gifts).



> Prompt: River/Doctor + any one of Shakespeare's plays (not as actors though - actually in the play. For example, the Doctor in Romeo's place & River as Juliet, or Doc as Othello & River as Desdemona etc.) Recipient: ISA! Yikes, this was a challenge! I tried to incorporate the major themes (clarity vs. blindness, confusion, mystery, dark vs. light, etc.) while referencing AMSND as much as I could (there are so many random bits that are references omg) and also making it my own! I've never written a full River/Doctor fic, so I hope you enjoy it. AND GOOD LUCK ON YOUR EXAMS, LOVELY ISA. ♥ Fic title from A Midsummer Night's Dream by Shakespeare.

"Doctor, are you sure you know where you're going?"

"Yes dear, of course!"

"Sweetie, I'm fairly certain we've been in this clearing before."

"We have not! It merely _looks_ like the last one."

"Whatever you say, dear!"

River throws up her hands in defeat, too exhausted to bicker any further as they trudge on through the woods. The air is brisk, sunlight streams through the trees to cast dancing shadows around them, leaves crunch merrily beneath their feet, and the foliage above them rustles quietly in the late afternoon breeze. On any other day she'd be thoroughly enjoying herself; but as she's led through the forest on a seemingly wild goose chase with the Doctor and a blistering headache, she feels every right to be thoroughly aggravated.

"Doctor, I still think we should be heading in the opposite direction."

"I'm _positive_ it was this way, River! Regardless, this is a beautiful forest and we can enjoy the foliage as we walk.  Why visit New England in the fall if you don't take time to admire the brilliant colours of the maple and birch trees? This forest is _especially_ brilliant, you see? There's the perfect amount of sunlight for the-"

"That's just wonderful, but if we have to trudge on for much longer I might collapse from _severe_ exhaustion so you had better start remembering where you parked the car, hmm?"

"Right, sorry, distracted. Car! Car, car, where did we park it?"

"I _told_ you, in the other direction. But why on earth you have to hike through a bloody forest to get from the fair to the car park in the first place is beyond me. No wonder we're all turned around - whoever designed this setup is a damn fool. "

"But the fair was fantastic! I especially loved the caramel apples. Remind me to get those at the next fair we go to!"

"Oh no, I'm _never_ letting you talk me into going to the fair again. They've made us late for dinner with their rubbish design and I am _dying_ for a cup of clam chowder."

Abruptly, he stops in front of a soaring tree with jutting roots that are carpeted by moss, a few vagrant leaves, and soft grass. "How about a rest?"

"About time," she sighs gratefully, plopping down to rest against the trunk. "You've run me dry with all your running about."

"I guess you'll just have to find a younger husband."

"Such a pity, I liked you too! I suppose I should probably tell you that I married you _only_ for your aunt's money. I certainly didn't plan to marry an insufferable businessman with incurable wanderlust! It'll be easy enough to find a replacement, I think."

"Oi, I'm well off! It's difficult to love someone as great as I."

He chuckles, removing his tweed jacket to place it on one of the protruding roots and set their almost-empty cooler beside it. "But I will admit the fair left me far more tuckered out than I expected it to."

"You, admit?"

"It happens on occasion, usually when my wife is around."

"I bet she's fantastic."

He hums happily, plopping down next to her, gathering her into his arms, and reaching for the cooler. "She's amazing. Care for a drink?"

"I thought we ran out of wine?"

"We did. I mean the water we got from the river."

"Please." He hands her the bottle, River eagerly bringing it to her lips. The water is crisp and light, like the forest around them, and settles pleasantly in her stomach as she begins to settle into a stupor.

As the Doctor settles down next to her she curls against his gangly body, fisting his shirt and listening to the steady beat of his heart as it lulls her to sleep.

\--

The brisk mist is the first to evade her senses, a chilling blanket wrapping around her in the ageless forest. Before she so much as opens her eyes it's evident that the Doctor has long before gotten up, her body cold against the moss below her. She sits up, stretching languidly as she looks about for the Doctor. There's no sign of him - which doesn't surprise her - but a thick darkness has overcome the woods, the gloomy fog now sweeping in around her. Clambering to her feet, she figures she'd better find the Doctor before he gets lost, the daft man. She contemplates calling out to him, but deems it pointless and heretofore unnecessary. But as River begins her search she hears her name called out from somewhere in the thicket.

"River!"

The Doctor's voice echoes once more, muffled by the whispering wind and the rustle of leaves.

"I'm here, dear." If the Doctor were present he'd see her roll her eyes affectionately, the ever-patient River. She awaits a response, straining to hear his voice, now conscious of and equally annoyed by the sound of water rushing nearby. The forest had seemed calm and serene in the daylight, and as she stands in the darkness she wishes she had a flashlight to assist her to alert her to the harsh realities of the woods at night.

As if by magic, as she wishes for light, light appears. She nearly thinks she's dreaming, the foggy light deeming to be a result of her disoriented, post-nap state. But the beam bobs and sings as it approaches her, as if being held out by an invisible and unsteady hand, accompanied by a voice.

" _You_ said," the voice, belonging to a woman, sounds accusatory and thoroughly Scottish - not exactly what River had expected while in the middle of a New England forest. "It was nearby!" River smirks as the voice continues, reminded of a similar conversation she'd had earlier.

The light draws closer, along with the snapping of twigs and crunching of leaves underfoot as she now perceives the outlines of two people, though details are still imperceptible in the darkness.

The figure alongside the Scot huffs, and though he also says Come along, Pond, the huff already is a telltale sign in and of itself.

So he ran into someone. Maybe it's someone who works at the fair? It's not unlike him to make acquaintances, that's for certain. But what, according to the girl, did he say was nearby?

They must mean her, as she's the nearest thing they'd seemingly look for.  "I'm here, sweetie!"

A whirring noise and a small green light flash in her direction, the pair now close enough for River to see that the light comes from something in the Doctor's hand.

"Doctor?"

"Hello, yes! Who's that?"

She snorts, contemplating whether to say something ridiculous like "Dido Queen of Carthage", "Phoebe", or "Melody".

Or maybe just River, since she'd really like to just find the car and get out of the unfriendly cold.

"River?"

"Yes, exactly! Do you know where we might find it?" They're face to face now, the tall redhead and the Doctor standing in front of her with purposeful looks about them.

"Sorry?"

"The river.  Amy and I've got a bit of a date." River chuckles, adjusting his askew bowtie.

"...a date?"  Her hand falters against his collar.

"Yes, with a dear friend of mine, Jim the Fish. This is Amy, my companion, by the way. The TARDIS got the coordinates a bit off and so if you could kindly point us in the direction of the river, I'd be grateful."

Dumbstruck, she unwittingly raises her hand - slowly pointing to herself, _the_ River.

His eyebrows suddenly rise, a realization dawning on his face. "Blimey, are you lost? Can we get you somewhere?"

"Am I lost?!"

This surely must be some kind of joke, and she's beginning to get tired of it.

"We were looking for the car," she says slowly, tentatively.

"We? Are there more of you?" The Doctor's eyes light up at the prospect of more people.

"My husband, yes."

"And has he gone to fetch your car?"

"Just before I slept, we were looking for it - so I can only assume yes."

"Do you know where he is?"

"Closer than I thought," she laughs mirthlessly.

Behind them a twig cracks, an ominous sound in the heretofore seemingly abandoned woods.

"Hello?" The Doctor raises his hand, once more brandishing the green light, buzzing object and pointing it towards the noise. The gadget pulses as it lights up, and after about five seconds the noise and light cease, causing the Doctor to carefully inspect the handle.

"Well?" the redhead companion pipes up, clicking her bright blue fingernails against each other impatiently. The Doctor examines the handle of the gadget, as if reading and obtaining information from it.

"Well, uh, it's-" he scratches his head in concern, face contorted into a look of both doubt and surprise.

"Not good?" Amy sounds thoroughly bored as she fixes the hem of her miniskirt while shifting her weight from one long leg to the other.

"I like to withhold judgement until I meet someone face to face." His reply is not so much addressed to his companion as it is to the forest, specifically in the direction of the noise.

A bush rustles to their right in a way that only something greater than the wind could.

The Doctor drums his fingers against his arm impatiently, rocking back and forth.

"Does anyone have a scone? I could go for a scone right now. Maybe a spot of tea, too? Waiting always gives me an appetite."

River rolls her eyes.

"I have biscuits in our basket-" River's eyes widen at the "our" that has just slipped from her lips, but it's lost at the appearance of a head from behind a nearby tree.

"Hello," the Doctor's pitch fluctuates as he greets the visitor, as if he were greeting an old friend - though she has a sneaking suspicion he has never met this person before. Then again, with the unpredictability of her current surroundings, things could be far from what they seem.

No major details are perceivable in the thick mist, save from the masculine face and strong nose illuminated by Amy's torch.

"Amy?" The man speaks after a moment, his voice slow, sounding weary.

"Do I know you?"

"Amy," her voice sounds like a prayer as it falls from his lips. "It's me."

"Sorry, who are you?" She places her hands on her hips, looking warily at the misty outline.

"Amy," his voice is suddenly stronger, emotion at bay but palpably present. "We were taking a walk? I tripped and you laughed, but the next thing I knew I was waking up on the ground with a bump on my head and a bloody killer headache."

River turns to Amy, who looks as dumbfounded as River feels. "It must be the night, tricking us all." She turns to the mystery figure. "Amy doesn't appear to recognize you, and my own husband doesn't seem to acknowledge my significance to him. I'm a stranger in his eyes."

The Doctor steps up, piping in with a raised finger and questioning countenance. "Sorry, husband?"

She huffs, her eyes rolling closed for an instant - a momentary flicker of anguish.  "Yes, husband."

"Me?"

"Yes, you! Who else am I talking about for god's sake!"

"You're kidding! I mean, not that I mind at all, but why bait me like this?"

"Bait you! God you are so daft sometimes!" With a groan of indignation and annoyance, she throws her hands up - looking thoroughly fed up - and storms off into the night.

After an indefinite amount of time of walking through the forest, the hem of her jeans now spattered with mud and guck, she realizes she has absolutely no idea where she is or even in what direction to return in order to find the party she had left. The whispers of the breeze through the trees are uninviting, sounding almost like tiny, plotting sprite voices in the mist that chill her to the bone. There's nothing but a sea of trees in front of her, and the thick blanket of leaves prohibits the moon to shine down fully upon her path - though a thin sliver breaks through and illuminates the brook in front of her. She takes a short drink from the river to assuage her thirst and then, tired, confused, and downright worn out, she settles down against the trunk of the most inviting tree. Darkness thickens around her, even her sight faltering as the black veil seems to thicken. A chill sweeps through her body and she hugs her overcoat even closer to her, huddling into herself for warmth and shelter in the bitter, lonely forest. The night feels long and tedious, and she longs for the comfort and clarity of day. Sleep begins to wash over her and she gladly welcomes it, as it shuts her sorrowful eyes to steal her away from the company of the weary night.

\--

"How is it that she's still asleep? You'd think she'd be interested in all I have to say, but _no_ , she falls asleep!" The Doctor's whine slowly drifts into her senses, calling her slowly from her sleep.

"Oi, be nice to my daughter, you!"

"She's not asleep, she's stirring." Rory's voice interjects dryly.

"Shh, you've woke her up!" River hears a thump of a hand against a chest, assumingly the hand of Amy's, accompanying the accusatory voice of her mother.

River's eyes open slowly, languidly while voices swirl about her, mingling in the air and settling as a mist around her.

"Good afternoon, Sleeping Beauty!" The Doctor grins jovially at her, leaning from the front seat to kiss her cheek. "Sleep well?"

She pauses a moment, assessing her surroundings which are far from those she felt she was just in. "I had the strangest dream. I still feel a bit that I'm sleeping, actually."

"Ahhh, the effects of the river, no doubt." The Doctor nods his head as if the explanation to her stupor is perfectly obvious.

"Sorry, what?"

"The drink we had from the river? You were asleep when Rory and Amy found us, so we carried you to the car?" He looks at her expectantly, but she merely stares at him, uncomprehending. "Well, no mind! We've got a dinner to go to and clam chowder to devour. Ponds, ready?"

"As long as you don't crash the car, yes," Rory winks at River.

"And as long as you know where you going," River adds in pointedly.

"The road seems quite wide and adequate for driving. We have nothing to fear!" The Doctor defends himself, sticking out his tongue to Rory and River in the backseat as he starts the ignition.

Wondering about her dream and the meaning of it all, she merely places it out of mind for now. The confusion and disorder of the events had taken a toll on her, though it had all been a dream, and her only solace was that all she had seen was but a vision - a silly and pathetic turn of events created by her mind. Now, in the company of her parents and husband, she sets her sights on the streaming sunlight on the clear autumn day, and the amended state of reality.

 

 


End file.
